Special Ed Glossary: Special Meanings for Special Education

Accommodations are those ways in which a child's needs are accommodated by changes in the way in which instruction is delivered, or a student's progress is monitored.

The word antecedent has a specific meaning in the context of writing an FBA (Functional Behavior Analysis) in preparation for a BIP (Behavior Intervention Plan.)

Attending, or the ability to sit and pay attention to the teacher, is a critical pre-academic skill that all children need to acquire.

Autism is actually a range of disabilities known as the Autism Spectrum and effect children differently. There is no known cause, though autism is one of the most intensely researched disorders today.

Child Find is a mandate of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) that requires states to identify all children between the ages of 3 and 21 who need special education service.

Chunking is used to break tasks or information into smaller segments to help special education students succeed.

Co-morbidity -- When Diagnosis Includes More Than One Disability

This glossary entry lays out two meanings for consequences, one specific to a Functional Behavioral Analysis and the other specific to behavior management using Adlerian psychology.

Criterion referenced tests reference specific skills, performance standards or objective to measure whether students have mastered those skills.

Data collection is a regular, weekly part of collecting information to assess the success of special education students on their IEP goals.

Differentiation is the practice of modifying instruction, assessment and classroom management in order to accommodate a broad range of abilities, from students with disabilities to gifted students.

Discrete trial training is the basic way instruction is delivered in Applied Behavioral Analysis.

Glossary entry for dyslexia.

Executive function is a critical cognitive ability that include long term memory and the ability to visualize.

Extinction is the word used by Behaviorists and applied behavior analysis for eliminating behaviors, specifically problem behaviors.

Formal assessments, as opposed to informal assessment, is written and evaluated with a percentage or other formal method.

General education is the term used to describe the program of education that typically developing children receive.

Inclusion is both an educational practice and an educational philosophy.

Mainstreaming definition. What does mainstreaming mean?

Modifications are forms of specially designed instruction (SDI's)that change the content, expectations or level of a student's participation in the general education curriculum. I'

Neurotypical is the word used to describe children who are not on the autism spectrum.

Normed tests are statistically evaluated to find means or averages for populations, such as grade and age group.

An operational definition describes a behavior, even an academic behavior, in a way that any observer can identify the behavior.

Placement is a word used to describe where a child receives special education services, and is vital for fulfilling the Least Restrictive Environment requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004.)

positive reinforcement is the addition of something, a preferred item, food, social praise or activity, that increases a behavior.

Procedural Safeguards describe the process for special education students and their parents as well as their rights in the process, and must be given to every parent every year.

Progress monitoring, also known as data collection, is integral to providing parents and guardians evidence of progress and creating accountability.

Progressive discipline is a process of increasingly restrictive consequences for students who repeatedly break school rules.

Prompt dependence is the problem that emerges when a student no longer will attempt a task without prompting from the teacher or classroom aide.

Prompting is an invaluable tool to help students succeed at learning new information, skills and behaviors.

A definition of "regular education," a synonym for "general education" but with negative connotation.

A replacement behavior is the behavior which will replace the target, or problem behavior, and will have a similar consequence or reinforcer.

The resource room is a placement option where students do best with small group or individual direct instruction.

Scaffolding is a term used to describe building slowly to the skill you want the student to acquire.

Scribing is often an accommodation for children who are able to participate in the general education program but have difficulty writing, either because of fine motor problems or reading and writing issues (dyslexia.)

Self contained classrooms are the most restrictive settings found in public schools.

Shaping is a teaching technique developed by behaviorists in which successive approximations are accepted.

Social Skills are more than goog manners, but a discreet set of skills that typical children learn from observation, practice and modeling. Children on the autism spectrum as well as children with ADD, have difficulty learning functional skills to help them make friends and interact appropriately both in social groups and employment situations.

Special considerations is a check off in the IEP that focuses attention on broad concerns in the special education student's profile.

Standardized Tests are often administered to large groups to gather information both about the individual student and the performance of the group as a whole.

A good task analysis is critical for teaching students with disabilities all of the discrete steps required to complete tasks we often take for granted.

Trial is used to describe a single session of data collection.

Typical is the way in which general education students are described as opposed to "regular" or "normal."

What is the special education resource room? Getting special education support in the resource room.

Dyscalculia is a range of disabilities that effect a persons ability to understand and use math.